Performance · Other credits

Frank Wess

real name Frank Wellington Wess

Frank Wess is credited on 3,264 releases across 634 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1953–2025 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.

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3,264

Credits

634

Albums

8

Decades active

513

In collections

Biography

American jazz saxophonist, flutist, arranger and composer
Born 4th January 1922 Kansas City, Missouri, USA, died 30th October 2013 Manhattan, New York
Member of Billy Eckstine's orchestra from 1946 to 1947, Eddie Haywood's orchestra in 1947 and Lucky Millinder's orchestra in 1948. Worked with Bullmoose Jackson from 1948 to 1949, Count Basie from 1953 to 1964, where he formed a famous pairing, billed as "The Two Franks", with fellow saxophonist Frank Foster and Clark Terry's Big Band from 1967 to 1970. Has also done a lot of session work, Broadway shows, jingles and played in the bands for TV shows Saturday Night Live and The David Frost Show (1969-72). Made a National Endowment for the Arts jazz master in 2007.

Bio from Discogs

Credited work

3,264 releases · 634 albums · active 1953–2025

  • Performance · 5,421
  • Other credits · 384
  • Production · 1
  • Engineering · 1

Studios: Atlantic Studios · Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey · A&R Studios · Newport Jazz Festival

Discography

Records they worked on — most-collected first.

Frequent collaborators

Around the web

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